Day of the Dead comes alive

When Centro Cultural Aztlán began celebrating Día de los Muertos, the only places you could see altares were in the homes of Mexicans and Mexican Americans. Many of those altars stayed up all year long. The aging photographs of deceased loved ones were placed alongside images of saints and photos of heroes such as John F. Kennedy, César Chávez and Martin Luther King Jr.

Today, the resurgence of Day of the Dead is clear with the number of events, exhibits, demonstrations and performances growing each year.

Here are the events I’ve heard about, though there are likely more planned.

Have fun out there!

And look for my story in Thursday’s S.A. Life about Day of the Dead wear.

• 10 a.m., San Antonio Missions National Historical Park demonstrations on making paper marigolds, calavera puppets and papel picado (in cool images such as the San José rose window). At the visitors’ center near Mission San José, 6701 San Jose Drive. See the altar dedicated to friends of the San Antonio missions. Another will be set up at Mission San Juan. (210) 932-1001. Through Nov. 4. www.nps.gov/saan. Free.

The festival continues Friday and Saturday, 5-11 p.m., with an altar exhibition, live music on two stages, food and demonstrations. Admission is free on both days. Highlights include a Día de los Muertos procession, Las Mona’s Drum and Dance Group, the Guadalupe Dance Company and Perpetual Puppets. 1518 S. Alamo, (210) 212-8666, www.saysi.org.

• 12-4 p.m., San Antonio Museum of Art hosts Calaveras para Todos, a demonstration and history lesson on the making of traditional sugar skulls, followed by a class on papel picado. Both in the Beretta Hops House. An altar installation created by SAMA and Brackenridge High School art students will be on display in the Great Hall. 200 West Jones Ave. (210) 978-8100, www.samuseum.org. Free with museum admission.

• Market Square’s Los Altares del Mercado, an exhibition of more than 30 altars created by Market Square tenants, merchants and area junior high and high school students, through Nov. 4. 514 W. Commerce, (210) 207-8600, www.marketsquaresa.com. Free.

• La Villita’s Celebration of the Art of Day of the Dead features altars and other displays in 23 of the area’s 25 shops. Through Nov. 4. Exhibitions include the work of students from West Campus and South San Antonio high schools. Bonham Academy student artwork is at the Nueva Street Gallery. La Villita is across from HemisFair Park in downtown San Antonio, (210) 207-8610, www.lavillita.com. Free.

• UTSA’s Institute of Texan Cultures celebrates Día de los Muertos with an altar installation dedicated to deceased family, friends and associates, through Nov. 4 in the museum’s Lower Gallery. Also showing is “Imagenes en Transición,” a documentary on the emerging traditions of Día de los Muertos in the United States and Mexico, featuring San Antonio artists Pedro Ruíz and Joe Lopez. 801 S. Bowie St., (210) 458-2330, www.texancultures.utsa.edu.